Daytime Fireball Meteor Lights Up Northeastern US

A brilliant daytime fireball meteor lit up the skies over the northeastern United States on April 7, 2026, captivating hundreds of witnesses across Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania around 2:34 p.m. EDT.

The event, confirmed by NASA, involved a meteoroid that became visible at an altitude of about 48 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Mastic Beach on Long Island, New York. Traveling southwest at approximately 30,000 miles per hour, the object covered roughly 117 miles through the upper atmosphere before disintegrating 27 miles above Galloway Township in southern New Jersey, north of Atlantic City. NASA described it as a fireball, a type of meteor brighter than the planet Venus, caused by a larger particle entering Earth's atmosphere and producing an intense streak of light.

Eyewitness accounts poured in to the American Meteor Society, with at least 186 reports logged within hours, including dozens from New Jersey alone. Observers described a vivid green and white streak visible for several seconds against the afternoon sunlight, sometimes breaking into fragments. Videos and photos captured by drivers and residents showed the bright flash...